Ironman Florida - Triathlon


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Panama City Beach, Florida
United States
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 16h 02m 14s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = W 50-54
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Drove from Illinois to PCB on Wednesday with Mary. Got settled in condo, did a couple of short swims in the gulf since we don't have access to ocean swimming. Had dinner at 7:00 Friday night, then went to bed. Tossed and turned, freaking out about wetsuit vs no wetsuit. Around 3 in the morning I made the decision that I would wear my wetsuit.
At 4 am, walked down to the race with Mary and sherpa crew -- Laura and Robin and Mary's hubbie Troy. Terrified. Absolutely terrified.
Swim
  • 1h 46m 38s
  • 4224 yards
  • 02m 31s / 100 yards
Comments:

Lots of surf and swells made tough conditions out there, especially on the second lap. Felt like I did about as well as I could and definitely glad I wore my wetsuit. Someone said that the buoys were shifting. I don't know if that's true but I know I swam more than 2.4 miles. Saw some jellyfish in the water but did not get stung. Focused mostly on not swallowing any seawater.
They did have a bout with red tide here about a week ago. Not sure if this was still present but I know some people did have issues with breathing.
What would you do differently?:

Short of moving to the ocean, not much I can do to prepare for an ocean swim. Thoroughly enjoyed the swim.
Transition 1
  • 15m 9s
Comments:

Pulled off cap and goggles when I got out of the water and who should be there at the wetsuit stripper station but Laura and Robin! I sat down in the sand and enjoyed watching them tear off my suit. Showered briefly to get the sand off, then went into the changing tent. Changed out my shorts and got organized with the help of a wonderful volunteer.
Bike
  • 7h 05m 22s
  • 112 miles
  • 15.80 mile/hr
Comments:

My Garmin said that my average speed was 16.1 so I'm disappointed with the official results. It was hot and I kept getting ice water at the stops and dumping it over my head, put ice in my helmet. The course seemed crowded and there were long stretches where it was hard to pass. Annoying when people would pass me and then slow down immediately. This was particularly a problem in the last five miles.
Around mile 10 my stomach became quite unhappy and this persisted for the duration of the ride. Didn't have to go to the port o potty, was just bloated and very queasy.
What would you do differently?:

Ride more aggressively, I suppose.
Transition 2
  • 10m 21s
Comments:

It was so cool to hand off my bike to a volunteer! Went into changing tent and just got running shoes and visor.
Run
  • 6h 44m 44s
  • 26.2 kms
  • 15m 27s  min/km
Comments:

I was overheated and nauseous immediately. Walked with some others who were also having issues. Got a sponge and used it to squeeze ice water over my head at every stop. Couldn't stand the Infinit I had brought, so switched to drinking Coke and broth, which helped some. At mile 19 I ate some pretzels and then some chips which seemed to help, and was able to start jogging a bit.
What would you do differently?:

More running in the heat would probably help
Post race
Warm down:

Finished (Yeah!!!!) and it was so cool to hear the announcer say YOU ARE AN IRONMAN. Mary, Laura, Robin, Troy and Karen and Rob were at the finish line. Got pizza and walked back to the condo.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Bunch of little things, this is my first IM so I could just finishing as a win

Event comments:

IMFL - my first Ironman distance




Last updated: 2015-01-02 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:46:38 | 4224 yards | 02m 31s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Suit: Blue70 full sleeve
Course: two laps in the Gulf of Mexico.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 77F / 25C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 15:09
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
07:05:22 | 112 miles | 15.80 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: Big loop out into the Florida countryside with some rollers and lots of pine forests. The roads were in great condition.
Road: Smooth  Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 10:21
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
06:44:44 | 26.2 kms | 15m 27s  min/km
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Bad
Course: Two loops through neighborhoods and a park. Fun aid stations with awesome volunteers. It got dark early and most of the run (at least for the slowbies like me) is in the dark.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4